The No. 8-ranked Emory men's basketball team used a balanced scoring attack and a strong defensive effort on Sunday in posting a victory at Washington University. The Eagles won their fourth straight game and boosted their overall record to 16-2, 6-1 in the University Athletic Association, following an 80-67 triumph over the No. 11-ranked Bears who slipped to 15-3 in overall action, 6-1 in the league. Emory, Wash U and Brandeis are deadlocked for the top spot in the UAA midway through the conference portion of the schedule.
Junior Romin Williams lead the Emory scoring attack with 18 points (16th double-figure game of the year) sinking seven-of-13 field goal attempts including four treys in seven attempts. Junior Matt Schner totaled 15 points, 10 over the second half, ending the day six-of-eight from the floor and three-of-four from three-point range. Schner also topped all players with a career-high 14 rebounds, enabling him to chalk up his third straight and fourth double-double of the season. Sophomore Mason Johnson also produced 10 second-half points, en route to a 14-point afternoon, his fourth straight double-digit performance. Juniors Nick Stuck and Lawrence Rowley rounded out the squad's double-figure scorers with 12 and 11 points, respectively. Stuck dished out six assists in the win while Rowley grabbed six rebounds.
The Eagles came through with a torrid shooting performance over the final 20 minutes of play, hitting 62.9 percent (17-of-27) from the floor including 60 percent (6-of-10) from three-point range. For the game, Emory was successful on 53.3 percent (32-of-60) of its field goal opportunities, the sixth time this season it hit 50 percent or better, and sank 37.5 percent (9-of-24) from distance. Wash U ended the contest at 30.3 percent (23-of-76) from the floor, the second-lowest Emory opponent total this year, and was able to connect on just 19.4 percent (6-of-31) from three-point range.
Ahead by a 42-35 count early in the second half, buckets by Schner and Johnson, followed by a three-pointer by Williams, doubled the cushion to 14 points, 49-35, with just over 16 minutes remaining. After a three-pointer by the Bears' Payden Webb drew them to within 12, a 13-5 run that saw Luke Morrison and Williams sink treys and Schner a couple of baskets, extended Emory's margin to 65-45 with 11:33 on the clock. The Eagles would lead by as many as 23 points, 72-49, with 6:56 remaining after Johnson hit a bucket in the paint.
Emory was tied or led the Bears for all but 35 seconds during the opening 20 minutes of play and took a 37-31 lead into halftime. The Eagles shot 45.5 percent (15-of-33) from the floor while WU connected on 26.3 percent (10-of-38). Both teams were ice cold from beyond the arc with Emory converting three-of-14 and the home team three-of-16. Emory held WU scoreless for nearly a four-minute stretch while using a pair of buckets from Williams and drive to the rim by Stuck to run off a 6-0 spurt that gave it a 30-20 lead with 5:19 left in t stanza. After WU responded with seven unanswered points, the Eagles scored seven of the next game's next 10 points, with Rowley hitting a pair of baskets and Morrison knocking down a triple, to claim a 37-30 edge with 1:10 left. Stuck and Rowley paced the Emory scoring attack with eight points apiece while Williams totaled seven.
Emory returns to action on Friday (Feb. 7) when it hosts the University of Chicago in an 8:00 pm tip.